MSK

What MSK does

MSK Inc. (M・S・K株式会社) is a Japanese privately held IT company founded in May 1994 and headquartered in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, with additional offices in Sapporo and Tokyo. The company self-describes as a space business specialist, providing one-stop services from space business consulting through system development, maintenance, and operation. Its core technological focus is satellite positioning using Japan's MICHIBIKI (QZSS) quasi-zenith satellite system combined with low-power wireless technology. The flagship product family is the Altair Positioning System, offered in three variants — Altair-C for cattle and livestock monitoring, Altair-M for marine applications, and Altair-A for mountain environments — augmented by specialized modules including Virtual Fence, Grazing Cattle Monitoring, Rescue System, Land Boundary Management, and Starlink connection systems.

Beyond its satellite positioning core, MSK operates several adjacent lines: custom system contract development (distribution, production management, hotel, bus location, insurance systems), package software sales (notably a VB-developed hotel system and a web-based bus location application), contractor services including carrier broadband surveys and Cisco communications equipment installation, and a sub-brand BiSCaO Water disinfectant. The company holds five patents granted between 2014 and 2024 covering inter-vehicle communication, remote management, life jacket victim detection, land boundary management, and virtual fence systems. Named customers and partners include JAXA, Honda, Mitsubishi Materials, Mitsubishi Research Institute, CAC, INTEC, JAMSS, Meisei Electric, Nissho Electronics, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan Agricultural Cooperatives, and the Cabinet Office QZSS initiative. Operational scale is modest: 10 direct employees supported by approximately 70 partner staff across 20 partner companies, with registered capital of ¥4.5 million.

The business model combines professional services (custom development, consulting, contract work), one-time product sales (package software, Starlink systems, BiSCaO Water), and government/enterprise project work delivered primarily through direct sales in Japan. Distribution is concentrated domestically with emerging international engagement in Africa through a related entity (JASTOM) and a 2024 diplomatic visit from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Marketing is largely event-based (ILS Summit, Wagyu exhibitions, JSDF study groups) and government-program-based rather than digital-led.

Name

MSK

Legal name

MSK Inc.

Website

https://msk-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MSK Inc. is a Japanese privately held IT company specializing in satellite positioning (MICHIBIKI/QZSS) and low-power wireless solutions for agriculture, maritime, and government clients, supplemented by custom system development and package software sales across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Satellite Positioning and Space Technology Solutions

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Satellite Connectivity & Managed Services (VSAT, SD-WAN over Satcom) (HDAIAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Satellite Broadband Terminals & Gateways (VSAT/LEO CPE) (HDAFAIAM)

Keywords

• Satellite positioning systems
• QZSS positioning solutions
• Livestock monitoring systems
• Maritime rescue technology
• Custom system development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokorozawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. System Contract Development: Custom system development for clients including distribution systems, production management systems, hotel systems, bus location systems, and insurance company systems.
2. Package Software Sales: Sales of hotel system package software (developed in VB) and bus location web applications.
3. Contract Work: Broadband surveys for carriers, LAN construction, Cisco communication equipment installation, and network monitoring services.
4. Space Business Consulting: Consulting services for space business operations, including satellite positioning system design and deployment.
5. BiSCaO Water (Other Products): Sale of BiSCaO Water, a human, animal and environment friendly decontamination and deodorant product.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MSK is a space business specialist company that provides one-stop service from space business consulting to system development, maintenance, and operation. Its offerings are built on MICHIBIKI/QZSS satellite positioning combined with low-power wireless technologies, packaged as the Altair Positioning System family (C, M, A variants) and complemented by Grazing Cattle Monitoring, Rescue, Virtual Fence, Starlink Connection, and Land Boundary Management systems. The firm also develops and sells package software (hotel and bus location systems) and BiSCaO Water disinfectant.

Product overview

MSK is a space business specialist company offering a unified platform of satellite positioning and low-power wireless technology solutions. The core product is the Altair Positioning System family with three variants: Altair-C for cattle/livestock monitoring, Altair-M for marine applications, and Altair-A for mountain environments. These are complemented by specialized modules including the Grazing Cattle Monitoring System (GPS-based tracking), Rescue System (drone-based search and rescue), Virtual Fence System (patented boundary management), and Starlink Connection Systems for connectivity. MSK also offers traditional software packages including hotel management systems and bus location systems, plus BiSCaO Water as a separate product line. All solutions leverage MICHIBIKI (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System) positioning technology as the foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Altair Positioning System: Satellite positioning system solutions including C (for cattle/grazing), M (marine), and A (mountain/land) applications utilizing MICHIBIKI and satellite positioning technologies
• BiSCaO Water
• Grazing Cattle Monitoring System
• Virtual Fence System
• MSK Drone Mapping System

Quantifiable outcome

• No infections among Self-Defense Force personnel who used BiSCaO Water during Diamond Princess cruise ship rescue operations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Democratic Republic of Congo Embassy (コンゴ民主共和国大使館)minorOthers · 3 October 2024MSK was visited by Democratic Republic of Congo Ambassador LUKUMWENA Nsenda on October 3, 2024, indicating potential international business development in Africa.
• Cabinet Office QZSS Initiative (内閣府 みちびき)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2022MSK presented at the 10th ILS (Innovation Leaders Summit) as a QZSS-utilizing startup company. The Cabinet Office QZSS official website featured MSK's presentation.
• Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (陸上自衛隊)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022MSK exhibited its rescue system at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Fuji Study Group. The rescue and search system utilizes positioning satellites and drones for disaster response applications.
• Kyushu Regional Agricultural Administration Bureau (九州農政局)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2020Co-organized the ICT Grazing Technology Workshop where MSK demonstrated its grazing cattle behavior monitoring and virtual fence system. Kyushu Bureau served as the main organizer.
• Japan Grassland Livestock Seed Association (日本草地畜産種子協会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2020Partnered in organizing the ICT Grazing Technology Workshop demonstrating MSK's virtual fence system and grazing cattle monitoring technology.
• Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Training Center (九州沖縄農業研修センター)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2020Research organization partner providing technical cooperation for grazing cattle behavior monitoring demonstration experiments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Topcon Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of GNSS positioning, surveying, and precision agriculture systems. Directly comparable to MSK on satellite-positioning-based surveying and livestock/agriculture monitoring, and competes for similar Japanese enterprise and government customers.
• Pasco Corporation: Japanese aerial surveying and GIS company using satellite positioning and remote sensing for land surveying, infrastructure, and government contracts. Comparable to MSK's land boundary management system and QZSS-based surveying workflows.

Broad incumbents

• Trimble Inc. Global leader in GNSS positioning, surveying, agriculture, and construction technology. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same satellite-positioning-based product categories (surveying, fleet/livestock tracking) that MSK's Altair and Grazing systems target.
• u-blox AG: Swiss-based provider of GNSS positioning and wireless chips/modules, including QZSS support. Comparable at the technology layer that MSK builds applications on top of, though u-blox operates at the component level rather than full application systems.
• Hexagon AB (Leica Geosystems, NovAtel): Global positioning technology group with surveying, GNSS receivers (NovAtel), and geospatial software. Comparable to MSK as a broad incumbent offering overlapping GNSS surveying and asset-tracking capabilities as part of a larger portfolio.

Emerging players

• Synspective Inc. Japanese SAR satellite operator and analytics startup building end-to-end geospatial solutions. Comparable to MSK as a Japan-based space business startup leveraging satellite data for downstream application verticals.
• Axelspace Corporation: Japanese small satellite operator focused on Earth observation and a CubeSat platform. Comparable as a Tokyo-based Japanese space startup targeting enterprise data applications, though MSK focuses on positioning rather than imagery.
• ArkEdge Space Co., Ltd. Japanese satellite constellation startup building small-satellite infrastructure. Comparable to MSK as a Japan space-technology startup ecosystem participant, though focused on satellite manufacturing/operations rather than end-user positioning applications.

Others

• Iridium Communications Inc. Global L-band satellite operator offering voice, data, and search-and-rescue (SOLAS/GMDSS) services. Comparable as a satellite-based maritime rescue and remote-area connectivity provider whose adjacent offerings overlap with MSK's Marine Rescue Support System and Starlink connectivity business.
• KDDI Corporation: Major Japanese telecom and the official Starlink distribution partner in Japan. Comparable as an enabler of MSK's Starlink connection systems business, though KDDI is a vastly larger carrier channel rather than a competing application provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MSK